Spring Clean Your Pantry for Healthy, Warm Weather Eating and Snacking

Inevitably the snow-crusted trees yield to the warmth of the sun and the crocuses trust it is their time to shine.  The changing of the season to new beginnings and renewal are the hallmarks of spring when we peel off our many layers, both literally and figuratively.  For many of us this means renewing or adding in more physical activities, as well as airing out rugs, cleaning out gutters, uncovering patio furniture, and shedding heavy comforters for lighter cotton throws.

It's just as important to transition to lighter eating as our bodies naturally shift away from needing more calories in those colder months.  Most of us easily gravitate towards foods that cool us like salads, smoothies and water-based fruits but there is one area that often gets neglected in this happy season of sun-soaked days: your kitchen pantry.

You've stocked it full of oatmeal, other grains, nuts, flours, beans, pasta sauces, and other holiday ingredients that got you through the seasons of baking, stews and hearty soups.  It's the perfect time to assess what needs to stay, what can go to the back of the cupboard and what is lacking for healthy warm-weather meals and snacks.

Let the sun shine into your pantry with these 3 easy steps for what to keep, what to add in and I'll even link you to lighter recipe options for pantry items typically thought of only as comfort foods.

Step 1: Take everything out one shelf at a time.  If, however, there is no organization to your pantry at all then take everything out!

Here is a peak at my dry good pantry:

The top shelf (not shown) is for my grains, pastas, dried beans, seaweeds.  Just underneath are all my canned goods, jarred sauces and other jarred ingredients followed by a shelf for baking items like flours and natural sweeteners. The most accessible shelf is all snacks which allows easy access for my kids and the bottom shelf is where I store liquids, items too large to fit on other shelves, seasonal and overstock items (if they were on sale).  *Are you curious to see what this whole foods mama stashes as healthy snacks?  Skip over to my blog post to take a detailed peek at my family's favorite snacks that can always be found on this highly popular shelf in my pantry.

I have another pantry right beside this one which houses all my spices, vinegars, and oils that are not used on a regular basis (my everyday spices, oils, etc. are in drawers next to my stove top and oven) as well as all my tupperware, kids' lunch boxes and water bottles.

This is what works for me and is a general guide for you to follow as we all live our lives a little bit differently, have different kitchen and storage layouts. Only you will know what needs to be prioritized in the spaces that you have.

Don't forget to give all the shelves a good wipe!  It's nice to have crumb- and goo-free shelves especially if this is a chore you'll complete 1-2 a year.

Step 2: As you empty each shelf assess which items are expired, stale or no longer of use to you. Pitch them!  Return the good items back on your shelf and be as organized (or not) as you want; i.e., alphabetize your spices, sweet canned goods all together, canned beans all together, dried beans on one side, pastas on the other, etc.

Here is a quick guide to how long you can store items typically found in a kitchen pantry or cabinet:

Spices:

• Whole Spices and Herbs: 1-2 years
• Whole Seeds and Roots: 3 years
• Ground Spices and Herbs: 1 year
• Ground Roots: (e.g. ginger) 1-2 years

Nuts, Seeds and Oils:

• Oils: up to 18 months unopened, 1-6 months opened in cool, dark conditions
• Dried Beans: 1-2 years unopened
• Canned Beans: 2-3 years
• Raw Nuts (without shell): 4 months
• Raw Nuts (with shell): 6 months
• Peanut and Nut Butter: 6-9 months unopened, 2-3 months opened (shelf stable varieties)
• Raw Seeds (without shell): 2-3 months
• Roasted Seeds (without shell): 3-4 months
• Roasted Seeds (with shell): 4-5 months

Flours and Grains:

• Barley (pearled):12 months
• Brown Rice: 6 months
• White Rice: 2-4 years
• Wild Rice: 2- years
• All-Purpose Flour: 8 months
• Bread Flour: 3-6 months
• Brown Rice Flour: Store in the refrigerator due to the high oil content.
• Corn Flour: 1 year
• Flaxseed: 2-3 months
• Spelt Flour:4-5 months
• White Rice Flour: indefinitely when properly stored
• Whole Wheat Flour: 2-3 months in a cool place, 6 months in the refrigerator

Sauces, Condiments and Other Pantry:

• Baking Soda: 18-24 months
• Baking Powder: 6 months
• Dried Bread Crumbs: 6 months
• Buttermilk Powder: 2 years
• Oatmeal, Grits, and Hot Cereals: 1 year
• Chocolate: 6-12 months unopened and stored in a cool, dry place
• Corn Meal: 6-12 months
• Corn Starch: 18 months
• Dried Fruits: 6-12 months
• Jam and Jelly: 1 year unopened
• Ketchup: 1 year unopened
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: 2-3 years
• Evaporated Milk: 1-2 years
• Molasses: 1-2 years
• Mustard: 2 years unopened
• Olives: 1 year unopened
• Pasta (dried): 2 years
• Sauces: 1 year
• Sugar (Brown): 6-12 months
• Sugar (Confectioners’): 2-3 years
• Sugar (Granulated):2-3 years
• Vanilla and Other Extracts: 2 years unopened, 1 year opened
• Vinegar: 2 years unopened, 1 year opened
• Yeast (packets): 2 years (check expiration date)

Step 3: Take notes as to what may be missing or needs to be replaced the next time you go to the grocery store.  Make sure these items make it into your pantry this season for effortless whole foods eating.

Here are some ideas of what you may want to swap out for warmer weather meals:

• Have canned white beans and chickpeas in place of heavier black and kidney varieties.  They are a lighter option in salads, dips like hummus, in pasta salads and lighter soups.
• Trade out spaghetti and fettucine noodles for fun shaped pastas like bow-tie, penne and macaroni for pasta salads chock-full of garden veggies.
• Likewise, you won't need as many jars of spaghetti sauce.  Try a fresh tomato sauce or olive oil and vinegar-based dressings for your pastas and grains instead.
• Keep your nuts and seeds but trade them out from your breads and heavy desserts for a nutty and healthy crunch to your vegetable and grain salads, as well as experiment with some raw food recipes (see the recipes below for some easy and delish ideas to get you started).

These recipes are some ideas from The Whole Meal to inspire you to open up that beautiful, organized pantry of yours and shift some of those comfort food ingredients like oatmeal, beans and nuts to lighter options now that we are in two seasons of warm weather.

Overnight Muesli

Trade out your usual warm oatmeal for this light, addictive raw version.  Use fresh berries in the spring and stone fruit in the summer in place of/or in addition to the apples to stay in season. 

Chia-Strawberry Seed Jam

Preserve those in-season strawberries with a "must-have" pantry item- chia seeds. The chia seeds stand in for pectin, a common thickening ingredient for jams.

Sweet and Salty Nutter Balls

This an easy way to start adding in raw snacks/desserts into your diet which are much healthier options that are not refined-sugar laden and highly processed.

Slow Cooker Black Beans and Spelt Salad

Spelt groats are a delicious, nutty grain that transition to warm weather salads very well.  Try this ancient grain in this salad recipe which starts in your slow cooker and is finished by tossing with garden-fresh veggies, herbs and cooling yogurt.  It'll be a regular at your potluck get togethers or weekly go-to lunch or light dinner.

Homemade Hummus

Trade out your chick peas from stews to dips.  There is nothing better than a homemade hummus and, while a staple year round, it is especially welcome at your al fresco get togethers.  

Take a Peak Into This Whole Food Eating Mama's Snack Pantry..and It's Not What Your Think

I would be naive to assume we have pantries stocked for ONLY whole foods eating.  I, like most of you, live a modern life where I wear many hats and need convenience more than I care to admit.  Processed foods have become a part of many of our lives but we still have control over what those foods are.  We are lucky to be living in a time when there are food companies that offer healthier options over other companies.  The secret is knowing which ones to choose.  We have many great choices now- just walk into any Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or natural food section of all large grocers.

I tend to have these processed snacks on hand year round but they are especially convenient as we transition to summer, a season made for snacking.  Road trips, airplane traveling, stashes for your hotel room, at the pool, as a crunchy side to a healthy lunch,and  all day movie marathons are summertime fun when snacking is almost impossible to avoid.   You'll always find fresh fruit, veggies and dips, as well as homemade snacks (you can find a couple of them in my recent blog post, Spring Clean Your Pantry for Healthy, Warm Weather Eating) offered first but it's nice to know healthy does not need to be sacrificed when we do make choices for convenience and time-constraints.

Here is a sneak peek at what always rotates on a regular basis on my snack shelf:

Skinny Pop Popcorn

Who doesn't love popcorn?  Especially when we now have all these incredible flavor combos beyond ho hum butter to crunch away on.  Skinny Pop is GMO-free, low in sodium and fat, and their sweeter varieties are low in sugar.  Our current favs are Original, White Cheddar and the new Jalapeno and Dusted Dark Chocolate.  

Trader Joe's Plantain Chips

These are truly addictive and I buy two at a time; one bag just for me!  I love that they are roasted and not kettle-fried.  These are very easy to eat right out of the bag but my girls like to dip them in sour cream and I prefer the heat of a good salsa verde.

Whole Foods' 365 and Trader Joe's Nut, Dried Fruit and Chocolate Trail Mixes

Yes, it is easy to make your own trail mixes, but honestly, both Trader Joes's and Whole Food's make some pretty amazing mixes that I usually defer to their prepackaged bags alot.  Favs from the 365 line include the Cherry Chocolate and Double Feature (we fight over those cute peanut butter cups!).  Trader Joe's favs include Simply Almonds, Cashews and Chocolate and Happy Trekking: Almonds, Cashews, Pistachios, Chocolate, Cranberries & Cherries.

Snyder's Gluten Free Pretzels

It's tough to find products that are gluten-free and taste, well, just like wheat.  Snyder's is one of the pretzel companies that has figured it out.  We love the plain mini and stick versions.  

Kind Bars

You would be hard pressed to find someone that has NOT had a Kind bar (unless you are allergic or don't like nuts) and my family is no exception.  I tend to keep the low sugar varieties around (5 g only) but the other varieties make into the pantry on occasion ( the coconut-almond is amazing) especially for a pre-workout/sport quick grab and go food.

Bear Naked Granola

I don't always have time to make raw or regular homemade granola so The Triple Berry variety is our "go-to" granola as it only has 5 g sugar per serving.  I've never seen my girls eat it right out of the bag rather it's is the granola part of their yogurt parfaits they make for breakfast, afternoon snack or even dessert.  

Publix Greenwise Unsweetened Apple Sauce Cups  

My girls love these by themselves but will also mix a cup into some plain Greek yogurt with a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Runner Ups that make an appearance here and there include Krave Beef Jerky, any brand of organic tortilla chips, Kettle and Trader Joe's Guilt-Free potato chips, Love Crunch granola mixes, Trader Joe's and Endangered Species 70-85% chocolate bars, Mi-Del Gluten Free Ginger Snaps, Go Raw Ginger Snap cookies, and Trader Joe's Gluten Free Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

* Did you notice that I tend to stay gluten-free?  My oldest prefers a gluten-free diet to manage her eczema, which is aggravated by wheat (and sugar), so I tend to keep our snacks gluten-free and lower sugar.  

The Many Benefits of Beans...and Some Risks

Beans truly are nutritional powerhouses packed with protein, fiber and vitamins and minerals but even the mightiest of foods have some weaknesses.

First let's peruse some of the benefits:

Beans are Good for Your Heart:

Studies have shown that people who eat more legumes have a lower risk of heart disease and the phytochemicals found in beans might be partially to thank since they inhibit the adhesion of platelets in the blood, which can help lower risk for heart attack and strokes.  


Beans Can Lower Cholesterol:

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests having just 1⁄2 cup of cooked pinto beans daily might lower cholesterol. Like all foods that contain a lot of soluble fiber, beans help bind cholesterol and keep it from being absorbed in the gut.  Beans also contain saponins and phytsterols which help lower cholesterol.


Beans Can Fight Cancer:

Those phytochemicals I've mentioned- isoflavones and phytosterols- are associated with reduced cancer risk.


Beans Can Help You Lose Weight:

Because beans are fiber-rich they fill your stomach which causes a slower rise in blood sugar.  Evening out your blood sugar level staves off hunger longer and gives you a steady stream of energy.


..and there are some risks:

Beans Can Interfere with Vitamin Absorption:

Some beans, like soybeans, contain substances that interfere with the absorption of betacarotene and vitamins B12 and D.  The heat, however, from cooking inactivates most of these substances, making vitamin absorption more likely.  It's still smart to consume plenty of fresh fruit, yellow and dark green veggies (for betacarotene) and lean meat (for vitamin B12).  


Beans Can Trigger Gout:

If you suffer gout you may want to limit or eliminate beans from your diet.  Gout sufferers are advised to avoid beans, lentils, other legumes because of their high purine content.  Purines increase uric acid levels and can precipitate a gout attack.


Beans Can Make You Gassy:

More of an annoyance rather than a risk, dried beans, lentils and peas are the biggest offenders.  Reduce gas production by changing water several times during soaking and cooking process and always rinse canned beans.  You can also add some foods which are natural digestive aids like fennel, dill, caraway seeds or combine legumes with acidic foods to lessen the gassy effect.



Like much of life, and especially in reference to foods, moderation is the key.  For most of us beans are a healthy and nutritious addition to our daily good eating.

Here are a few of my favorite bean recipes from The Whole Meal:

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Pinto Bean Cakes with Chipotle Cream Sauce

Brunswick Stew

For more bean/legume inspiration head to The Whole Meal and search "beans", "lentils" and "peas".

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

This Week Celebrates Fat Tuesday AND The Year of the Monkey: Eat Your Way Through New Orleans' Biggest Party and The Chinese's Most Important Holiday

It's a week of celebrations in both New Orleans and Chinese cultures with many of us also getting caught up in the festivities, as both holidays revolve largely around food.  And it's really really good food!

So if you ever wanted to know what Mardi Gras is all about and how the Chinese celebrate one of their most important holidays, as well as recipes that are typically feasted on so you can perhaps take part at home with your family, keep reading!

NEW ORLEAN'S MARDI GRAS:

Taking place this year on Tuesday, February 9th,  Mardi Gras, which mean fat Tuesday, is the culmination of the season between Christmas and Lent. Fat Tuesday falls on the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. During the 46-day Lent period, many Christians forego the eating of meat, either completely or on Fridays. They also traditionally give up a favored food, drink, or habit. Fat Tuesday is a last chance party excuse before a six-week period of abstinence, and residents of New Orleans, Louisiana, are famous for their Mardi Gras celebrations and parades (most of this year's festivities occur from February 5-9th).

New Orleans has a history rooted in Creole and Cajun cultures so it should come as no surprise that these foods play a large role in any Mardi Gras celebration when you'll get your fill of gumbos, jambalayas, and crawfish.  

No Mardi Gras is complete, however,  without a King Cake, also known as Twelfth Night Cake. This cake is actually a sweetened yeast bread , usually baked in a ring shape. The cake is frosted with gold, green, and purple icing representing in order, power, faith, and justice. The traditional colors on the King Cake date back to 1872. They were taken from a prominent parade group, called a krewe.  The real fun, though, hides as a token within the cake. The tokens are usually a dried red bean or a figurine of a baby, representing the Christ child. When the cake is cut and shared, the finder of the hidden treasure is said to enjoy good luck for the coming year. The lucky recipient may also be expected to bake the King Cake or throw the Mardi Gras party for the following year.

Try your hand at making a King Cake with any of these traditional recipes from Best King Cakes.com, a great resource for all things King Cake in New Orleans with links to the best cakes, bakeries and Mardi Gras festivities.

The Whole Meal (TWM) has easy recipes to help you celebrate Mardi Gras with favorites like Shrimp Jambalaya, a slow cooker Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya, New Orlean's style Shrimp and Grits, and a vegan Mardi Gras Collards and Black Eyed Peas. Or whip up a batch of an authentic tasting Chicken and Sausage Gumbo in only 60 minutes (While you are there register for free for other recipe inspiration). 

Most gumbos take hours to prepare and if you want to take the more traditional route, check out this authentic version.  

CHINESE NEW YEAR:

Spring Festival, widely known as Chinese New Year in the West, is the most important traditional festival, and most important celebration for families in China. It is an official public holiday, during which most Chinese have 8 days off work.  Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together. Wherever they are, people come home to celebrate the festival with their families.

Chinese New Year marks the start of the Chinese lunar calendar, and its date in January or February varies from year to year (always somewhere in the period January 21 to February 20). The traditional days of celebration this year, however, last from January 31st through February 22nd. 

The Chinese lunar calendar is associated with the Chinese zodiac, which has 12 animal signs: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal represents a year in a 12-year cycle, beginning on Chinese New Year's Day.  2016 is a year of the monkey. 

Certain dishes are eaten during the Chinese New Year for their symbolic meaning. Lucky food is served during the 16-day festival season, especially New Year’s Eve, which is believed to bring good luck for the coming year. The auspicious symbolism of these foods is based on their pronunciations or appearance.

Not only do the dishes themselves matter, but also the preparation, and ways of serving and eating mean a lot.  The most common Chinese New Year foods includes dumplings, fish, spring rolls, sweet rice balls and nian gao, a glutinous steamed rice cake.

Fish is a must for Chinese New Year as the Chinese word for fish (鱼 yú /yoo/) sounds like the word for surplus (余 yú). Eating fish is believed to bring a surplus of money and good luck in the coming year. 

Another traditional Chinese New Year food is Chinese dumplings. Because the shape of Chinese dumplings looks like  silver ingot - a kind of  ancient Chinese money, Chinese people believe eating dumplings during the New Year festival will bring more money and wealth for the coming year. 

Steamed Chinese New Year cake, known in Mandarin as nian gao (“higher year”), is flavored with almond extract and Chinese brown sugar. It’ll bring you good luck in the new year.

Here is an auspicious New Year's Menu from Cooking Light that would be a great way to bring in the Year of the Goat. 

Longevity, or long life, noodles are a popular Chinese dish for both New Years and birthdays. They symbolize living to a ripe old age and the longer the noodle the longer the life. There are many variations but I like TWM's vegetarian version for its simplicity and ease of preparation. 

I am lucky to have an authentic Asian market that I frequent where I will be picking up my steamed rice cake but for those of you who love to bake and/or are adventuresome in the kitchen try your hand at making your own nian gao.

It's a great week to embrace what makes America so unique; our great melting pot of different ethnicities and the cultures that continue to thrive here.  It's always the most fun to discover a new culture through its food and if you can't get to them, at least for this week, you can bring it to your kitchen.

Are You Ready for Holiday Baking?

It's that time of year again when your most passed down and cherished holiday cookie, pie and other sugar plum treats make its way to your neighbor, child's teacher, office or family gathering to satisfy as only a Christmas goodie can.  It actually takes quite a bit of forethought to pull off that holiday baking effectively so here is a top 5 list of "must dos" to get organized, stay stress free and have fun in the kitchen:

1. Make a List and Check It Twice

Grab those well worn cookbooks and ear-tabbed sheets of paper that hold your most favorite and tried and true recipes.  Write down which recipes you'll be using and who will be the recipients.  Check it again to make sure you've reasonably estimated the cost, as well as you have the time to fit it all in.  Check your calendar to ensure you have left yourself ample time to make and deliver any that are gifts.

2. Make It All Pretty

Once you know what you'll be baking and for whom spend some time thinking about how you'll wrap and adorn these delights.  You'll want the anticipation of what's inside to be just as exciting as that first bite.  Mason jars, paper boxes, decorative tins, bakers twine, clear bags, labels and tags are a good place to start.  Use your imagination...and start stocking up!

3. Eyeball Your Pantry

You may not have the time (or inclination) to clean out your entire pantry but spend some time seeing what you do (or don't) have.  Pitch expired and old ingredients (especially baking powder and sodas, flours, and spices) and make a note of what needs to be replaced and repurchased.  Take a quick gander at your recipes and add on any new ingredients you may not have.

4. Do You Have All the Right Tools

Nothing is worse than having the cookie dough all ready to go and your assembly-line production gets held up because you are a baking sheet or two short. Make sure you have all the tools and pans ready to go.  Add any missing items to your ingredient purchasing list.

5. Find Your Trusty Assistants

Pull out your heavy duty mixer, food processor and any other small appliance and related accessories, assess for dust and clean up as needed.  And while your at it see which human helpers are going to be rolling up their sleeves too.

Bonus Tip (but probably pretty important):

Test run a batch especially if they are food gifts.  This is a must for a new recipe and I am sure your family will be VERY happy to be the taste testers.

Now that you are armed with the essential ingredients for stress-free holiday baking, get the flour flying!  And I'll be a taste tester if you need one.

Turkey Hangover? What to Do with Those Leftovers from Your Thanksgiving Feast

For many years, my mom's friend, Beverly, would whisk the turkey carcass from the table once she noticed everyone's eyes were glazed over from the debauchery of a typical Thanksgiving meal and plop it into a large pot of simmering water she had already started on the stove top.  She'd scuttle over to the veggie crisper and pluck some celery, carrots and onions, chop away like a seasoned sous chef and create this incredibly rich turkey broth/soup for later consumption.  A similar ritual would be created with the ham bone.

I always found these two rituals to be fairly constant but what to do with the leftover turkey and ham meat besides making yourself sick of it all weekend with yet another serving of turkey and gravy, turkey and cranberry, or ham sandwiches was a more pressing question for me.  My family are not big leftover fans so rehashing these meats has to look and taste like a whole new meal.

Since I created The Whole Meal I have been able to solve my dilemma pretty well so I'll share with you some of my favorite "to go" recipes that easily transform your leftover turkey or ham to a new yuminess.

For Leftover Turkey:

Turkey a la King:

 
My dad and I sat sipping tea the day after Thanksgiving reminiscing about Thanksgivings past and he reminded me of one of my favorite childhood meals he used to prepare, usually with leftover Thanksgiving turkey, Turkey a la King.  This is my whole foods adaptation (no canned soup in this recipe!) of this retro classic and it tasted just as good, maybe even better, than I remembered.

Slow Cooker Turkey BBQ:

Just throw the leftover turkey into a slow cooker, kick your processed BBQ sauce to the curb and try this homemade version instead.  You'll come home after all your Black Friday adventures to these ready-to-assemble BBQ sandwiches (and maybe even a beer!).  You won't need the entire 5-6 hours cook time as you'll be using cooked turkey.  Try cutting the time to 2-3 hours on LOW setting.

Turkey, Apple Bacon and Spinach Salad with Maple Dressing:

Need some lighter eating?  Try this entree salad chock full of the season's best produce- apples and cool weather spinach.  The recipe originally calls for chicken but I think your leftover turkey would be pretty perfect.  Have some leftover cranberry sauce?  I wouldn't be opposed to adding a scoop on top!





Slow Cooker Creamy Turkey and Wild Rice Soup:

While most of us default to a turkey and vegetable noodle soup for that left over turkey (especially if you made homemade turkey broth) whip up a nice riff on the classic.  A little bit creamy and a little bit nutty (from the wild rice) you'll still have your soup and not be sick of it!





Turkey and Kale Quinoa Bowl:

More lighter eating with one of my favorite all-in-one "bowls"; this time replacing the cooked chicken with turkey.  This one will make you wish for Thanksgiving leftovers everyday.






For Leftover Ham:

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup:

A classic ham soup for cool weather but this version is a bit more brothier than thick.  Add in a green salad and some good artisan bread and this slow cooker meal is pretty well rounded with minimal effort.




Southwestern S'Mac and Cheese:

Ok, this may be stick to your ribs eating but it's so darn good!  This is one of the best mac and cheeses I have ever had (recreated from  Scottsdale’s Gainey Ranch Grand Hyatt's version).  If you are hunkered in over the weekend and love spending time in the kitchen make this. I can not begin to tell you how good roasted poblano, Mexican cheeses and smoky ham are together.


Slow Cooker Senator Bean Soup:

Show your American spirit with this delicious ham and bean soup that dates back to 1903.  If you've never had this soup that is still served in the U.S. Senate's restaurant it's an oldie but goodie.







Barley, Ham and Collards:

I've been living in the south for over 2 decades so I would be remiss in not including a ham and collard greens recipe.  This is a perfect lighter cool weather meal.  The soup includes kohlrabi, also known as German turnip.  If you've never had this tuberous cousin to broccoli and cabbage give it a try.  It sweetens when cooked which adds  a nice dimension to the salty ham and bitter greens.






Getting creative with all those leftover Thanksgiving sides is just as hard.  These recipes from Mom.me are the most unique and cool ideas I have found: What to Do with Thanksgiving Side Dishes Leftovers. 

Some Healthy Ideas for Gluten-Free Snacking

Whether you are going gluten-free because you truly have intolerance to wheat and all its derivatives (celiac disease) or just trying to reduce your wheat consumption, try not to fall into the trap of thinking your only snacking options are all those "gluten-free" highly processed snacks typically found in the inner aisles of most grocery stores (i.e.; the aisles we most want to avoid).

There are so many whole foods options that are naturally gluten-free and fuel your body the proper way.  While fruit and vegetables may be the most obvious choices that can get boring especially if your senses are used to snacking on processed snacks.  Ease your taste buds into some of these tasty, whole-foods snacks where you'll never miss a chip or slice of wheat bread again.

Here are my top suggestions:

1. Bean Dips: Yes, eat your veggies but pair them with bean dips which are full of fiber, complex carbs, as well as an array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.  Most grocers now offer high quality bean dips like hummus, black bean, and even edamame.  Or you can make your own.  Try The Whole Meal's Homemade Hummus or check out Eating Well's slideshow of healthy bean dips.  If you must give in to your need for chips or crackers try tortilla chips or one of my newly discovered gluten-free chips, Trader Joe's Roasted Plaintain Chips.

2. Fruit Smoothies:  You probably have most of the ingredients for a fiber-, antioxidant-, and vitamin-rich sweet drink that fills you up and fuels you right.  Keep it all fruit based or add in a green (spinach or kale) to up the nutritional benefits.  If you want to limit the sugar use coconut, almond, or cow's milk as your base rather than a fruit juice.  There are so many websites and cookbooks on smoothie recipes but this smoothie primer from Rodale's Organic Life has some great basic but delicious recipes to start you off right.

3. Nuts, Seeds and Dried Fruit:  Best known as trail mixes when paired together but darn good on their own; you choose how you want to eat them.  These three whole foods are the basis for so many raw snacks.  One of my favorite's is The Whole Meal's Chocolate Cranberry Truffles, which are perfect for a pre- or post-workout, an afternoon pick-me-up or dessert.    As far as trail mixes go both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods offer some really good ones.  Or check out this cool twist on a trail mix in muffin form, On-The-Go Breakfast Oatmeal Trail Mix Cupcakes, from one of my favorite food sites, Chocolate Covered Kate (note that many that suffer from celiac may not be able to tolerate oats).

4. Yogurt Parfaits: These dairy-based snacks are a great source of calcium and protein from the yogurt, fiber from the granola and fruit and, of course, lots of antioxidants in the fruit.  It's super filling and easy to whip together.  My girls' favorite version is layering some plain Greek yogurt on the bottom of a glass cup, followed by a scoop of Bare Naked's Triple Berry Fit Granola, and topped with a handful of frozen blueberries.  They then drizzle a little raw honey on top.

5. Pre-made Snacks: Ok ok, I will concede that we live in this modern world and sometimes we need a processed food to fill in the gaps; i.e. our kids needing a snack in the car on the way to an after school activity, you needing a snack on the go, surprise guests to the house and need something to put out to nibble, so Heavy.com has put together a list of some gluten-free snacks found in those middle aisles.  I have to admit I have had every one of these items in my house (except #10) and they nailed it.

The whole foods gluten free options are only as limited as your imagination.  Stock your pantry and fridge right and healthy wheat-free snacking is only a door away.